This is THE very first street photograph that I was proud of. Captured in October 2004 in Atlanta, GA

I've been taking some time to revisit and evaluate photography projects and freelance work that I've done over the years. Naturally, I often thought about my first camera. I purchased a black FujiFilm FinePix S3000 in the fall of 2004. I always appreciated the art of photography from afar so I didn't know much about the technical aspects. I actually don't even remember why I decided to buy a camera. I just knew, for some reason, that I had to get a camera. I didn't have much money but I was desperate. I remember using a few hundred dollars of my rent money to buy the FujiFilm from a Ritz Camera store near my old job in Atlanta. I was so happy and excited to start shooting! I took that awkwardly shaped, 3-megapixel camera everywhere. Now, the thought of me risking eviction to buy that camera is reflection of the transitional period I was experiencing during that time.

In the early 2000s, I was in desperate need of direction and focus. I was in the process of defining myself. I was suffering from many years anger and unhappiness. However, learning the art of photography was life changing for me. Although I was going through a dark period in my life, I was very fortunate that my camera provided the light.

Photography became the one thing that gave personal pleasure without the need to feel like I had to get approval from others. I finally had a sense of belonging. That camera was my compass when I felt lost. I was able to see the world differently through the images that I created. My outlook on life became more focused. It was a therapeutic to be able to narrate and tell a visual story, even if the only audience was myself. I was learning to be free. My photogaphs didn't have a right, a wrong or incorrect. They were, however, honest. All I needed was a method to express myself. I later went on to overcome many hardships by finding comfort in being an artist and finding myself as a humanitarian. I am very grateful that photography gave me the inner peace I was seeking.

​Despite the threat of a snow storm, I spent a quiet Sunday appreciating the architecture in downtown Detroit. I wanted to capture the city from unique angles so I purposely tried to avoid more recognizable sites like the Renaissance Center. My goal was to give more attention to designs and textures from multiple perspectives that are a bit less noticeable from the average view of the skyline.